Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake Review 2024

The Arteon Shooting Brake is an example of Volkswagen going slightly off-piste, creating a curvaceous estate version of its Arteon hatchback. It certainly looks more interesting than a Volkswagen Passat Estate or Skoda Superb, although the practical benefits over the regular Arteon are limited.

Volkswagen built its reputation with solid and sensible vehicles, but the Arteon Shooting Brake offers a dash of extra flair. Transforming the rather mundane Passat Estate into the stylish Arteon wagon certainly makes a statement.

Based on the fastback-style Arteon hatchback that was launched in 2017, the Shooting Brake was added to the Volkswagen range in 2021. This happened at the same time as the Arteon received a facelift, so this load-lugging version benefitted from all the same upgrades.

As for the name itself? ‘Shooting Brake’ has traditionally been applied to estate versions of two-door coupes, and dates back to the horse-drawn wagons used by shooting parties. Mercedes-Benz kickstarted the modern Shooting Brake trend with its CLS in 2012. In reality, the Arteon is still very much an estate car, albeit a sleek and handsome one.

The usual reason for choosing an estate (sorry, Shooting Brake) is extra practicality. On paper, the Arteon Shooting Brake’s 590-litre boot only adds an extra 27 litres of capacity over the fastback version. However, the raised roofline makes for better rear headroom, while dropping the back seats results in a substantial 1632 litres of luggage capacity.

This figure still falls short of the Passat Estate, though, and is nowhere near the size of the gargantuan Skoda Superb Estate. Yet for combining style and space, the Arteon Shooting Brake takes some beating.

It’s a similar story when you explore the interior of the Arteon Shooting Brake. At first glance, it looks a little dated, having been lifted from the Volkswagen Passat first sold in 2014. But it has been updated over time, and Volkswagen has added some chrome trim to liven things up.

This works, to an extent, with a decent mixture of materials helping bolster the premium image. Nappa leather seats are standard on the R model, with the remainder using a combination of Art Velours faux suede and leather.

A standard multimedia touchscreen, combined with a digital dashboard, brings more modernity to the Arteon. Compared with some of Volkswagen’s latest efforts, this is a more user-friendly infotainment system. However, the touch-sensitive sliders for the climate control are a lesson in making something more complicated than necessary.

At least the Arteon Shooting Brake drives in a no-nonsense fashion, with a focus on refinement and executive comfort. Forget ideas of sportiness, other than in the range-topping R version, as the Arteon is not really a car to engage with. Seamless progress, rather than sporty handling, is the order of the day.

This is reflected by the engine range, which comprises three petrols and a diesel in two power outputs. The 2.0 TSI petrol with 190PS is the pick of the range, although those with long motorway commutes will be well served by the diesel duo. With 320PS, the 2.0 TSI petrol engine in the Arteon R comes from the Golf R hot hatchback. It delivers serious speed, but is not as entertaining as you might hope.

While not the most accommodating wagon, or indeed the best to drive, the Arteon Shooting Brake still has plenty going for it. Compared to a traditional estate car or crossover SUV, we think the Arteon is an attractive alternative.

The Arteon has been developed as an easygoing and comfortable executive cruiser, a brief it fulfils very well. Whether you’re a singleton in need of space or part of a family of four, it could fit into your life with ease.

Volkswagen has tuned the Arteon Shooting Brake’s suspension to favour comfort over taut body control. The result is a ride that feels quite cosseting, although the larger 19- and 20-inch alloy wheels can result in bumps and imperfections being transmitted back into the cabin.

Dynamic chassis control is standard on the R version, and optional on others. This allows a choice of different suspension settings, and can help things feel sportier.

At least the steering is neatly weighted, and allows the Arteon to be driven with precision. There is not a great deal in the way of steering feedback, though, and little encouragement to take the long way home. A BMW 3 Series Touring will be more rewarding to drive.

The R model deserves additional praise, with torque vectoring from the all-wheel-drive system adding a little more driving fun. Stopping power from the huge 18-inch brakes is impressive, too.

The engines available for the Arteon Shooting Brake are all familiar Volkswagen options, with a choice of three petrols and two diesels.

A 1.5-litre TSI petrol kicks-off the range, and is the only Arteon fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox. With 150PS, its level of performance is relatively mild, with the 0-62mph sprint taking 9.1 seconds. It’s fine for those looking to minimise costs, but the more powerful 190hp 2.0-litre TSI engine suits the Arteon better.

The latter gives the Arteon a much more effective turn of pace. A seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission is standard, and helps reduce the 0-62mph time to 8.0 seconds. For those who don’t need a diesel, it represents the sweet-spot in the range.

For those covering the higher mileage to suit a diesel engine, there is a choice between two versions of the 2.0-litre TDI. Picking the 150PS engine and standard seven-speed DSG auto transmission results in strong efficiency. A 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds isn’t particularly quick, but a muscular 360Nm of torque makes it pretty effective in the real world.

Choosing the 200PS version of the 2.0 TDI, also seen in vehicles such as the Volkswagen Golf GTD, certainly ups the ante. The 0-62mph time falls to 7.6 seconds, aided by a healthy boost in torque to 400Nm. For those who want extra traction, 4Motion all-wheel drive is available as well.

Powering the range-topping Arteon Shooting Brake R is a 2.0 TSI engine with 320PS, taken from the Golf R hot hatch. This allows the Arteon to rocket from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 155mph.

Volkswagen previously offered a 1.4-litre plug-in hybrid version of the Arteon Shooting Brake. Serving up 218PS, the eHybrid delivered a compelling combination of pace and efficiency. Sadly, like many other Volkswagen Group hybrids, it is currently unavailable to order.

The Volkswagen Arteon fastback was evaluated by the Euro NCAP safety organisation when first launched in 2017. At the time, it was awarded a maximum five-star rating for crash safety, including a score of 96 percent for adult occupant protection.

Euro NCAP’s testing regime has moved on since 2017, but the Arteon remains a very safe car. Standard equipment includes front assist with autonomous emergency braking, driver fatigue detection, dynamic road sign display and hill-start assist.

For all its style, the Arteon Shooting Brake is still a practical machine. It would certainly make for a dramatic statement when towing a caravan, or visiting your local recycling centre.

The 200PS 2.0 TDI diesel and high-performance R model are both capable of towing braked trailers up to 2200kg in weight. The diesel is clearly a more sensible option, although a factory-fitted towbar is offered across the range.

The Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake is a large car, measuring 4866mm in length. It’s still a touch shorter than a Volkswagen Passat Estate, though.

Such size leads to plenty of space in the front, even for the tallest passengers. In the rear, the Shooting Brake benefits from a more upright roofline than the Arteon fastback. This aids headroom, resulting in a better experience for adults, plus there is space to accommodate three people on the rear bench.

Where the Shooting Brake also differs from the Arteon fastback is its boot. The shift to an estate-style tailgate makes the Arteon’s load space easier to access, even if it doesn’t add much extra capacity.

With its rear seats in place, the Shooting Brake can accommodate 590 litres of luggage. By comparison, the Arteon fastback can swallow 563 litres, while the Volkswagen Passat Estate leads the way with 650 litres.

Dropping the back seats, via the standard 60:40 split-and-fold bench, can boost load capacity to 1632 litres.

When Volkswagen updated the Arteon fastback in 2021, it applied all these changes to the Shooting Brake. Volkswagen has tried to make the Arteon feel more upmarket, but its Passat origins are still easy to see. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though.

Everything inside the Arteon feels solid and built to last. While the materials and overall finish may not quite match the premium standards of BMW or Volvo, there is ultimately little here to cause complaint.

The Arteon Shooting Brake has been subjected to Volkswagen’s obsession for touchscreens and touch-sensitive controls. An 8.0-inch central infotainment screen comes as standard, with the system incorporating satellite navigation, a DAB radio and smartphone connectivity.

This makes use of one physical dial to change the volume, but everything else operates through the touchscreen. The screen itself is quick to respond and the graphics look crisp. There are also touch-sensitive pads on the steering wheel, but these are more fiddly to use than traditional buttons.

The same is true of the touch-sensitive sliders used for the climate control. Although better than having to navigate through multiple menus, as on newer Volkswagens, they act as a reminder than normal dials and switches work best for such matters.

At least the standard 10.25-inch digital instrument panel is easy to use, and can be customised to show plenty of useful information.

Volkswagen does offer a larger 9.2-inch multimedia touchscreen as an optional upgrade. The Discover Navigation Pro system costs an additional £1420, but does include gesture control and wireless smartphone charging as well.

Like pretty much all cars, Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake prices have crept upwards in recent times. Opting for the Shooting Brake, instead of the regular Arteon fastback, adds around £1,000 to the sticker price.

The cheapest model, a 1.5 TSI petrol in R-Line specification, now starts at more than £41,000, or approximately the same as a BMW 3 Series Touring. This makes it notably more expensive than a Volkswagen Passat Estate, which costs from less than £34,000.

With potential lengthy waits for a new car, you might want to consider looking for an Arteon Shooting Brake on the used market. You could also find discounts on nearly-new and pre-registered models.

As an upmarket estate car, the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake will naturally be more expensive to run than a regular Passat.

Fuel costs are determined by just how much performance you want, with the entry-level 1.5 TSI petrol capable of averaging up to nearly 45mpg. For comparison, the more powerful 2.0 TSI 190 petrol drops below 40mpg, whilst the R version’s 320hp 2.0 TSI engine will struggle to better 30mpg.

Diesel fuel economy peaks at an impressive average of almost 60mpg for the 2.0 TDI 150. Opting for the more powerful 200PS version reduces this to around 50mpg, but this engine is still well suited to those doing high annual mileages.

Sadly, the lack of an eHybrid isn’t good news if you pay Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax. The plug-in version boasts a BiK rate of just 11 percent, thanks to its low CO2 emissions. Regular petrol and diesel versions of the Arteon Shooting Brake range from 29 percent to 37 percent for BiK.

The advantage of a slightly less prestigious badge is that the Arteon Shooting Brake should be relatively affordable to insure. Models with the 1.5 TSI engine fall into insurance group 22 (out of 50), with all other R-Line and Elegance models below group 30. The rapid Arteon R is in group 35, although this is reasonable for the performance on offer.

Volkswagen sells the Arteon Shooting Brake with a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty as standard. There is the option of a service plan when buying new, which covers the car’s first two years of servicing.

Keeping with the upmarket theme, Volkswagen has been generous with the Arteon Shooting Brake’s level of standard specification.

Elegance trim is the starting point into Arteon Shooting Brake ownership. It comes with 18-inch ‘Almere Adamantium Silver’ alloy wheels, LED headlights with dynamic range control, LED rear lights and plenty of chrome exterior trim.

The interior of the Elegance model feels suitably plush, thanks to sports seats finished in Art Velours faux suede material, with Vienna leather side bolsters. Six-way electric adjustment is included for the driver, and both the front seats are heated. Piano Black inserts are used for the centre console, with brushed aluminium detailing found on the doors and dashboard. Stainless steel pedals are part of the package as well.

Three-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, an electrically opening tailgate and parking sensors (both front and rear) are fitted. There is also adaptive cruise control, a rear-view camera, side assist, travel assist, plus a whole host of other safety systems.

Standard on Elegance models is an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, which is combined with a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument panel. Satellite navigation, DAB radio and wireless Apple CarPlay are the key features here. Android Auto users will have to connect through the sole USB-C socket.

With such a comprehensive standard specification, the R Line version of the Arteon Shooting Brake adds very little extra. Its alloy wheels are increased in size to 19-inch ‘Montevideo Black’ rims, and combined with a bespoke R-Line bodykit and tinted rear glass.

The interior gains a black headlining, while the front seats feature R-Line logos. You’ll also spot R-Line logos on the steering wheel and door sill protectors. A panoramic sunroof allows more light into the cabin, plus there is ambient LED lighting with the choice of 30 different colours.

The high-performance Arteon Shooting Brake R comes with a unique R styling package, 19-inch alloy wheels and bespoke R badging. Dynamic chassis control is tuned especially for the R model, with torque vectoring on offer from the 4Motion all-wheel drive. A set of huge 18-inch brakes is fitted for good measure.

Sports seats finished in Nappa leather come with 12-way adjustment and a massage function, with ‘Black Carbon’ trim used throughout the interior. The driving profile selection also gains a Race mode.